Hawaii Kai / East Oahu Event Calendar

Weekly Friday news summary for East Oahu and Hawaii Kai. Full text of these excerpts is available through the web. Where access is granted to the public, there is a link. Due to the quantity of news stories, there is also a Tuesday June 2, 2015 supplement to this week's news.

Suspect in stabbing of Kaimuki newspaper vendor released

A 30-year-old man arrested in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 70-year-old man who sold newspapers in Kaimuki was released, pending further investigation. Honolulu police arrested Gary Lee Landis Tuesday on suspicion of murder in the death of Thaddeus “Ted” Pirga Jr., of Hawaii Kai, in November. Police released Landis Wednesday, He was not charged.

Brush fire closes kalanianaole near makapuu in afternoon hours

The initial call came in at 2:43 p.m. Ten [fire] companies with 32 personnel responded. The closure was in effect between Alan Davis Beach and Sea Life Park until about 5:15 p.m. Wednesday. It was 100 percent contained by 6:30 p.m. No one was injured and no damage was reported.

PV Panels to go up again at Aina Haina Library

Paying for solar -- twice! It may not sound very book-smart, but that is what the state has done at one of its libraries.

. . .it seemed like a bright idea four years ago to put photovoltaic panels on the library roof until windy weather blew in last year. "We had an accident where a couple of panels flew off the roof. Luckily no one got hurt, but it led to an inspection and they deemed the system to be unsafe," said [Keith] Fujio, [assistant to the state librarian].

Some of the rack mounting materials were found to be defective, and the panels came down. They have stayed down for more than a year because there has also been a problem getting them fixed.

"We tried to go back to the original contractor, and they are no longer in business," said Fujio.

While the state waits to recover what it can from the contractor's insurer, it has decided to put PV panels back up at the library.

A whole new system will cost an $280,000. That is on top of the $590,000 the state paid back in 2011 for roof repairs and the initial photovoltaic system.

Police arrest man, 30, in Kaimuki fatal stabbing

A 30-year-old man was arrested Tuesday in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 70-year-old man who sold newspapers in Kaimuki.

Honolulu police arrested Gary Lee Landis at 11:15 a.m. on suspicion of murder in the death of Thaddeus “Ted” Pirga Jr., of Hawaii Kai, according to a news release from CrimeStoppers and the Honolulu Police Department. Charges against Landis are pending.

Pirga, a retired welder and popular seller of the Sunday Honolulu Star-Advertiser in Kai­muki, died Nov. 9 after he was stabbed while at his post in front of Cafe Miro on Wai­alae Avenue.

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Tuesday news supplement for East Oahu and Hawaii Kai. Full text of these excerpts is available through the web. Where access is granted to the public, there is a link. Regular updates are issued Friday. This supplement was created due to the larger than normal amount of local news items.

The participating families at these three schools combined saved a total of $43,600 on their electric bills from Oct. 2014 through March 2015.. . . The Home Energy Challenge is an educational partnership between the State Department of Education, participating elementary schools, and Hawaiian Electric.

For schools interested in participating next year, applications for the 2015-16 Home Energy Challenge will be sent to all Oahu public elementary schools this summer. Interested schools can call Ms. Sam Nichols at 543-7511 for more information.

Hawaii Kai cemetery may finally be built, despite concerns

It has been more than a decade since the city approved the building of a cemetery in Hawaii Kai. Those plans haven't gone anywhere since then, but work has begun once again, and that has some Hawaii Kai residents concerned.

[Hawaii Kai Memorial Park LLC Attorney William] McCorriston said the owners have applied for a business license from the state and a master grading permit. If those are approved, construction could finally began later this year.

Feral Chickens in EAST OAHU? you don't say?

KITV reports that you can find feral chickens on St. Louis Heights. You can also find feral chickens at Kahala Zippys. Kapiolani Community College has become so frustrated by the noise, they're even attempting to trap the chickens. The takeaway?

"You don't need a permit to trap wild chickens. The public is being asked to help manage the feral chicken population if they have them on their property."

KITV has posted a 2 1/2 minute video to go along with the story. Click the link above to view the page.

For-profit exercise classes not authorized at city parks; Hiking tours at hanauma bay "eligible to be permitted"

Question: As a frequent Ala Moana Beach Park user, I've noticed more exercise groups using the park. Some are small but others have over 20 people. According to an article in the Star-Advertiser, people are paying to participate in these exercises. Are they regulated in any way? Does this mean mobile car detailing or portable massage businesses can also use the park?

Answer: If people are paying to take part in the exercise classes, it is not an authorized park use.

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If no money is solicited or given, under current rules, groups of fewer than 50 people can gather in city parks without a permit, said Jon Hennington, spokesman for the Department of Parks and Recreation. "This is the same limit that applies to picnics," he said. "As long as the group does not solicit the public and does not require exclusive use of an area of the park, no permit is required." For any kind of commercial activity to take place in any of its parks, the Parks Department requires a public hearing. . .He explained that a public hearing is required before a decision is made to authorize commercial activities of a "particular type."

Among the commercial activities "eligible to be permitted" are filming, hiking tours at Hanauma Bay, scuba, snorkeling, swimming, tour companies and windsurfing, Hennington said. "This does not mean, however, that any or all of these activities are eligible for a commercial use permit at a given park," he said. Meanwhile, craft fairs and art marts sponsored by nonprofit organizations are eligible for permits. To find out more about commercial activities at city parks, go to bit.ly/1HV9wKa.

[To read full article, click link above and enter your Hawaii State library card # and PIN, or subscribe to the Star-Advertiser]

Crews Rescue Sailboat Twice in East Oahu

Honolulu firefighters were called to help a sailboat that got into trouble [off "of Sandy Beach] twice Friday night in East Oahu. . .[the second time the boat overturned]. , , HFD decided to tow the boat to shore.

Kaimuki business gets liquor license despite opposition

WZ Family Entertainment Center opened its doors on Waialae Avenue last year. Thursday night, the Honolulu Liquor Commission granted WZ's request for a liquor license. . .But the chairman of the Kaimuki Neighborhood Board said a family fun center serving alcohol doesn't fit Kaimuki's culture of mom and pop shops.

20 Kaimuki business owners signed a petition [opposing the liquor license.]

Mylar balloon shuts down power at aina haina elementary

Please be aware that [May 28] after school, a single, stray mylar balloon flew in to one of the electrical poles on the mauka side of campus causing a campus wide power outage and a fuse blow out on the high voltage pole. HFD and HECO needed to be called and worked over two hours on being sure the campus was safe and that power was restored. This is a great learning opportunity regarding potential consequences to electrical and building infrastructure when coupled with mylar balloons. We ask everyone to please consider other types of celebratory items during the graduation season which includes our own Grade 5 celebration on Tuesday. Thank you for attention to our school and community safety efforts.

From noted journalist Ian Lind's blog, a thoughtful, insightful & nostalgic piece, excerpted here. The full article is available on his website, link provided above.

. . .My first thought–I should attend. I was, after all, there at the beginning. I entered the 2nd grade at Kahala School when it first opened in 1954. . .

I decided that I would just drop in, not for lunch, but to look around the school and see what it’s like after all this time. . .

My introduction went something like this: “I’m don’t have a reservation and don’t plan on having lunch, but I was a student here the first year the school opened, and I hope I can just look around a bit.”

I quickly got the idea that I was perhaps the only student from the school’s first year to be present for the 60th anniversary. I was introduced to the principal, and warmly welcomed to make myself at home. . .

Kaimuki High School inducts inaugural Hall of Honor class

Kaimuki High School inducted three graduates during its first-ever Hall of Honor ceremony Tuesday.

U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono (’66), U.S. Attorney Florence Nakakuni (’70) and ukulele performer Jake Shimabukuro (’94) were honored for their achievements and contributions to the community. . .Graduates are eligible to be nominated 10 years or more after their date of high school graduation.

The Maui Jim Molokai Challenge surfski event, from Kaluakoi, Molokai to Hawaii Kai, will take place Saturday [May 30, 2015] starting at 8:30 a.m. The Kanaka Ikaika Racing Association event, which has a $15,000 purse, will also have an OC-1 solo division and stand-up paddleboard relay division. . .The first finishers are expected to complete the race at around 1:45 p.m.

Thank you for joining us at the 10th annual Hawaii Kai Dog Walk on June 1, 2014. As it turns out, this was to be our last dog walk. . .

As a reminder of the continuous effort needed by the community, the non-profit volunteer group writes from their May 2015 Newsletter:

[Hawaii Kai Dog] Park users have probably noticed the two new drinking fountains near the front entrance, one in the big park and one in the small dog park, which were installed by the Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR). With DPR’s permission, Hui 'Ilio Hawai'i installed anchored bowl holders under the dog faucets to keep the water bowls in place. . .

On Sunday, May 3rd, we closed the park for the entire day to accomplish a number of maintenance projects. Most notably, we had a huge pile of dirt (provided by DPR) to be moved under the fence line and around the benches to fill in depleted areas caused by erosion and digging dogs. Thanks to the assistance of local Boy Scout Troop 101 and some of their family members, the dirt was moved in record time. The troop also planted grass seed in the new soil, and raked and watered. . .

As we continue to strive for park user involvement in maintaining a beautiful community dog park, please remember that the poop bag dispensers are only filled if EVERYONE pitches in and brings recycled bags to fill the dispensers. Oftentimes we have run out of recycled bags and have purchased new bags to fill the dispensers, but that will not be happening in the future. Through the generosity of Petco, we will be adding a new poop bag dispenser on the fence between the small dog park and big dog park. Petco has committed to provide refill bags for this dispenser. Please be aware that this particular dispenser will not get replenished every day. We will continue to need recycled bags in the other dispensers to supplement Petco’s generous donations. . .

Hui 'Ilio Hawai'i is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that was established to promote public dog parks and to promote responsible dog ownership. Its officers and directors receive no compensation. Activities of the organization are carried out with the help of volunteers and sponsors. Our first objective was to make the Hawai'i Kai Dog Park a reality. Now that the park is open, we help to support it through the City’s Adopt-a -Park program. We also reach out to help other dog groups who are trying to establish dog parks in their respective communities.

Kahala renaissance

. . .A transformation has been gradually spreading since [Gensiro] Kawamoto relinquished 30 residential properties 18 months ago on the prestigious Oahu street lined with mansions and historic million-dollar homes. Among new owners of former Kawamoto properties are a professional poker player, a contractor and a waste management business owner from Hawaii, along with South Korea's wealthiest person, a Russian, a car-racing money manager from Michigan and an Australian billionaire. The new owners are pumping millions of dollars into construction and landscaping. To date, 20 of the 30 parcels that local real estate investment firm Alexander & Baldwin Inc. acquired in bulk from Kawamoto in late 2013 have been resold for more than $100 million, including two deals in escrow. . .

[Note: The full article contains 4 full-color photographs and is approx. 30 paragraphs long. Click the Star-Advertiser link in title and enter your Hawaii State Library Card and PIN # to access.]

kaiser high school elects to begin july 30, 2015; Classes Start July 31

Although the Department of Education school year for students begins July 29, 2015, Kaiser Complex schools will take a teacher work day on July 29th and Kaiser will begin the school year on July 30 with student registration. The first full day of Kaiser classes will be July 31. On July 30, students who had not prepaid their dues must complete the registration process and pick up their final schedules in the school cafeteria. Draft schedules are available earlier, from June 15, in the Registrar's Office.

Please contact school directly at Kaiser_HS [at] notes.k12.hi.us for clarification and updates.

[KAISER HIGH SCHOOL'S EDEN] Kai eyes L.A. after Brown Bags win

BY ERIN SMITH / Special to the Star-Advertiser Honolulu Pulse[Honolulu, Hawaii] 20 May 2015.

What the future holds, we’ll never know. But after watching this year’s winner, 16-year-old Kaiser High School student Eden Kai, I couldn’t help but draw a comparison between his and Shimabukuro’s virtuoso performance styles.

The kid is good.

Kai performed a song on guitar that he had written for the Brown Bags to Stardom competition, “Beautiful Stars,” and he tore it up. He has a fluidity of playing and a skill level far beyond his 16 years. [read all of Erin Smith's rave article here]

New law targeting hoarders not enforced in Kaimuki

, , city records show the resident had racked up nearly $191,700 in property violations. Neighbors say she's mentally ill and her condition has worsened since her parents died years ago. Meantime, homeless people have been rummaging through these belongings that have spilled out into the front yard even on the sidewalk. "There was even legislation written specifically as a result of this regarding hoarding. Nothing has been done," said Environmental activist Carrol Cox. Cox is referring to Bill 52, which passed last December giving the city the power to clear junk like this from private property. . .[click HawaiiNewsNow link to see full article]

Niu Valley Middle School, Sacred Hearts and Kaimuki Christian were category winners at ‘Ōlelo Community Media’s 2015 Youth Xchange Statewide Student Video Competition.Niu Valley Middle School won the Creating Peace category, Middle School division for its short video, "Stop Bullying." Sacred Hearts won with "Stop Forest Fires" in the Forest Health in Hawaii category and “Hula Ki`i: Hula Puppets” in the Mini-Documentary category; Kaimuki Christian won with “Focus In Class But Not At The Clock” in the Start Healthy Living category, High School division.

Congratulations to our East Oahu schools for their outstanding work. A full catalog of entries and recognition is available through this link to Olelo's website.

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Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the National Kidney Foundation and United Cerebral Palsy have teamed up to provide pickup of donations throughout Oahu. The easiest way to schedule a pickup is through their website, DonateTogetherHawaii.com

The area from approximately Hawaii Loa Ridge through Kahala, Sector 7, has the Fourth Monday of every month as its Bulky Pickup Day. This area is defined as: Kahala, Waialae Nui, Kalani Valley, Waialae Iki, Aina Haina, Hawaii Loa Ridge, Wailupe Peninsula, and the Koko Head side of Diamond Head to the lighthouse. From 22nd Avenue and Hunakai Street to Hawaii Loa Street.

A Friday news recap is now a regular feature of this site. This inaugural issue contains two weeks worth, to catch us up to date. Full text of these excerpts is available through the web. Where access is granted to the public, there is a link.

3 Oahu elementaries named as Hawaii Blue Ribbon Schools

The state Department of Education announced [May 12, 2015] that Hahaione, Kaelepulu and Palisades elementary schools are Hawaii's 2015 Blue Ribbon Schools nominees. . . Hahaione Elementary in Hawaii Kai has an International Baccalaureate World?School program. During the 2013-14 school year, Hahaione's student proficiency, growth, readiness and achievement gap rates ranked in the top 5 percent in the state's public schools system.

Sugar cane still vital -- for rum

Dave Flintstone, owner ofIsland Distillers, a Hono­lulu-based maker of vodka and okole­hao (a cane spirit with ti root), said he plans to relocate his distillery in industrial Kalihi Kai to 2 acres of farmland in Hawaii Kai, where he plans to grow hybrid sugar cane to make rum that people can sample and buy in a tasting room.

Issues below road's surface complicate repair work

Question: Work on Kalanianaole Highway in the block near Aina Haina Shopping Center hasn't been resurfaced in over a month. It's hazardous with the wet weather and the fact that the road isn't smooth. What's going on?

Question: What's the status of the rehabilitation of Kalanianaole Highway in East Oahu? It's been going on for some time. On the mauka side of the highway, there is a 2- to 3-inch discrepancy between the gutter and highway along much of the course. It's quite dangerous if you are riding a bicycle. Why is it taking so long and only half completed in sections?

Answer: The repaving part of the work along Kalanianaole Highway is targeted to be completed in June, but the entire project isn't slated for completion until February.

The block near the shopping center required more reconstruction work than other segments because of concrete slabs situated below the surface, said a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation.

Group empowers residents to spruce up natural sites

Last month 808 Cleanups partnered with Rep. Gene Ward to clean up more than 600 pounds of bonfire debris -- nails, pallets and broken glass from the Ka Iwi shoreline. [Interested volunteers can find 808 Cleanups on Facebook at fb.com/groups/808cleanups, Twitter and Instagram at @808cleanups or at 808cleanups.org]

Tenants may buy as church sells lion's share of Niu Valley Center

[Note: this article is particularly information-filled. Reading the full text through the library database (or if you have a subscription to the Star-Advertiser, directly on the site) is recommended.]

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King's Cathedral has agreed to sell the portion of the [Niu Valley Shopping Center] property that it doesn't occupy to local developer Peter Savio for an undisclosed price. . .Savio met with tenants Wednesday informing them of his plan to offer them the spaces as commercial condominiums that they could own instead of rent. . .Prices range from about $600,000 for a 744-square-foot unit to $5.2 million for a 6,719-square-foot space. . .If tenants decline to buy their spaces, Savio will try to sell the spaces to investors who would have to honor existing leases. . .Savio said the church, which occupies 37,570 square feet in the 66,786-square-foot center, is looking for a smaller home elsewhere in East Oahu. If that happens, Savio has an option to buy the church space at Niu Valley Center, which he said he would try to sell to a grocery store. A drugstore would be an alternative, as would dividing the space into smaller pieces for sale.

The construction of a cemetery in Hawaii Kai, located in Kamilonui Valley has been in the works for more than a decade, but never seems to get started. Along the way residents have raised questions about the project and the materials being dumped there.. . .The city says they will be sending an inspector out to the property each week and if the stockpile material does not meet approval they will be issuing a notice of violation. The city also say no new stockpile permits will be issued to the property owners until a cemetery master plan is submitted for the site.

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The Hawaii Concert Band is a newly-formed band comprised of professional musicians, community members, military personnel, and music teachers. The first performance is Saturday, March 28 at 7:30 PM at Kaimuki High School Auditorium. Admission is free.

EastOahu96825 is a website focused on the Hawaii Kai Neighborhood. Articles of interest include nearby free and low-cost events, local fundraisers, Costco shopping, and my trials and tribulations in learning Japanese as a second language.

This site also posts the latest information on my pet project, a once a month plant swap that takes place every 2nd Tuesday at Kaiser High School from 4-7pm.